Ep. 46 - FAAH-Out: The Curious Case of Joanne Cameron

Several years ago, a medical case appeared that took the scientific and medical community by storm. A patient appeared for surgery who reported never feeling anxiety, depression, or pain, despite numerous injuries and surgeries for which she required treatment.  As scientists analyzed her genetic profile, they discovered something amazing - Joanne Cameron lacked the genetic code that was responsible for transmitting pain and creating anxiety and depression.

In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we examine the curious case of Joanne Cameron that has led to some very surprising research that targets this important physiological phenomenon, and drug companies are furiously developing drugs to capitalize on this incredible potential to decrease pain, anxiety, depression, and treat a number of psychological and physical disorders. One of the most incredible findings linked to this case: cannabinoids, like CBD, also enhance the natural physiological activities of the body linked to the FAAH-OUT gene, where inflammation is halted (reducing pain), while also reducing or eliminating anxiety and depression.  

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

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Bisogno, T., & Maccarrone, M. (2013). Latest advances in the discovery of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236044861_Latest_advances_in_the_discovery_of_fatty_acid_amide_hydrolase_inhibitors 

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Bornscheuer, L., Lundin, A., Forsell, Y., Lavebratt, C., & Melas, P. A. (2023). Functional variation in the FAAH gene is directly associated with subjective well-being and indirectly associated with problematic alcohol use. Genes, 14(9), 1826. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37761966/ 

Cravatt, B.F., & Lichtman, A.H. (2003). Fatty acid amide hydrolase: An emerging therapeutic target in the endocannabinoid system. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 7(4), 469–475. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12941421/ 

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D’Souza, D. C., Cortes-Briones, J., Creatura, G., Bluez, G., Thurnauer, H., Deaso, E., Bielen, K., Surti, T., Radhakrishnan, R., Gupta, A., Gupta, S., Cahill, J., Sherif, M. A., Makriyannis, A., Morgan, P. T., Ranganathan, M., & Skosnik, P. D. (2019). Efficacy and safety of a fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor (PF-04457845) in the treatment of cannabis withdrawal and dependence in men: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, phase 2a single-site randomised controlled trial. Lancet Psychiatry, 6(1), 35–45. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30427-9/abstract 

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